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DENVER (KDVR) — As federal food assistance programs face a temporary pause, leaders at the Same Cafe in Denver say they are prepared to feed anyone who walks through its doors, regardless of their ability to pay.
One of my friends told me about it,” said visitor Elizabeth Ashley Fisher. “She was tired of seeing me try to eat at a trash can and trying to beg people for money or food.”
Fisher has been coming to the cafe for a decade now. Same Cafe has been feeding anyone who walks through their doors for nearly 20 years, no questions asked.
“So, here you can either volunteer for 30 minutes for your meal, or you can donate any amount of money, or you can bring in fresh produce to trade for your meal,” said Amelia Warriner, Social Media Marketing and Partnerships Administrator at Same Cafe.
Even a small contribution goes a long way toward keeping the cafe running.
“You can pay $2 or you can donate $5 or $18. $18 covers the rent and the volunteers and just the overhead. It’s pretty amazing,” said visitor Gilbert Collins.
For visitors like Collins who discovered the cafe while in recovery, it’s more than a meal, it’s hope.
“Well, I mean, look at Colfax, right?” Collins said. “Just look around you. There’s homeless everywhere. You know, and giving people a hand up instead of a handout is going to make all the difference in this community.”
Even Denver’s Mayor Mike Johnston is taking notice. He volunteered at the cafe on Friday.
Cafe leaders say they haven’t seen a spike yet, but they’re preparing to feed more if federal aid stalls.
“If finances are a struggle right now, then you can absolutely volunteer for your meal. Also, children eat for free here at the same cafe,” said Amelia. “We definitely have the capacity to serve more during lunch. We also, on Fridays, have started a small-scale free grocery market. So, people can come starting at 930 in the morning on Fridays and look through what we have and we strive to be zero waste.”
The cafe plans to have a Thanksgiving meal on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. They are also doing a call for turkeys. You can find information about events through social media on Facebook and Instagram.
If you would like to find out more information or make any donations, you can visit Same Cafe’s website.
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Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
